Upcoming Office Closures

Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El August 18, 2025 | 2:36 PM

Dear Neighbor,

Upcoming Office Closures

Please note the following office closures due to trainings or community events and plan accordingly if you need our services. We appreciate your understanding!

Friday 8/15, closed from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Friday 8/22, closed all day
Monday 8/25, closed all day
Friday 8/29, closed from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Transit Budget Update

On Monday, for the fifth time, the PA House passed a bill that would provide funding for mass transit such as Amtrak and Red Rose Transit, which both serve our residents. As none of us loves congested roadways and we all need to get to work, to school, to run errands and more, this bill, HB 1788, would benefit us by making sure our mass transportation systems keep running and helping to repair and maintain our roads and bridges. In short, this bill is a necessary investment in our infrastructure that is needed to help grow our economy.

On Tuesday, the Senate responded with a bill that completely fails to provide the critical funding necessary to keep our transit systems running as we need them to:

It FORCES transit systems across the state to decide between the safety of their riders and continuing to provide service.
It INCREASES fares in rural, urban, and suburban communities every two years indefinitely.
It STRIPS funding from transit and diverts it to roads and bridges in rural areas.

Senate Republicans have failed the people of Pennsylvania with this bill.

This is not leadership.

In the Community

14th Annual Back to School Event: A Huge Success for Our Community

There were over 2,800 students and families who pre-registered for our 14th Annual Back to School Event, and even more who showed up to join the fun on Sunday. Thank you all for coming and ensuring that students are prepared for the new school year! A huge shout out to all our sponsors, donors, community partners, and volunteers for making this a huge success - this is what community looks like!

Carter & MacRae Elementary's Back to School Night

Thank you to Community School Director Shane Howell and Principal Rachel Esh for the warm welcome at Carter & MacRae Elementary School on Tuesday night! Our office was happy to join over 30 other community partners to provide resources and information that will help students start the school year ready to learn.

Government Programs

Every Child Deserves Access to Quality Healthcare

CHIP isn’t only for low-income families. Parents may think their kids can't get CHIP coverage because they make too much money. Not true!

CHIP covers uninsured kids and teens up to age 19 who are not eligible for Medical Assistance. Apply today: chipcoverspakids.com.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate Deadline: Dec. 31, 2025

There is still time to apply for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, and my office is available to help! If you have questions about the program or need application assistance, reach out to my office.

State Grant Programs Accepting Applications

Click here for state grant programs accepting applications.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Legislative Fellowship Program

Are you interested in a career in public service? Then you should consider applying to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Legislative Fellowship Program for the Spring 2026 semester. Applications are currently being accepted, and submissions are due on Wednesday, October 1.

The Fellowship Program is based in Pennsylvania’s magnificent Capitol Building in Harrisburg. Fellows are assigned to work in House Standing Committees or House Leadership offices, are compensated for their work (which may also include college credit), and are provided the opportunities to draft and present their own legislation, attend meet-and-greets with various public officials and staff, and tour some of the Commonwealth’s historic public spaces, to name a few. The Spring semester will run from early January through early April. Final dates will be confirmed following the release of the Spring 2026 Legislative Session Schedule.

Qualified applicants will be:

College undergraduate juniors or seniors, graduate students, or law school students;
Enrolled in a Pennsylvania college/university, or a Pennsylvania resident enrolled in an out-of-state institution; and
Pursuing any major with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

If you know of any college students who would benefit from our Fellowship Program, please feel free to invite them to visit the website at: www.pahousefellowship.us. Applications can be submitted to via email at: pahousefellowship@pabmc.net.

PHEAA Webinars

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is offering webinars throughout the end of the year to assist families with student aid and financial assistance.

These courses include how to complete the PA State Grant form, Searching for Scholarships, and Financial Aid 101.

Creating Your StudentAid.gov Account

Wednesday, Sept. 17
Tuesday, Nov. 4

Searching for Scholarships

Wednesday, Sept. 10
Wednesday, Sept. 24

Financial Aid 101

Tuesday, Nov. 18
Wednesday, Dec. 10

Upcoming Events

My and Rep. Rivera’s Small Business Grant Workshop

Are you a small business looking to learn more about local and state grants and resources to support your business? Our offices are hosting a grant workshop on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, from 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Conference Center at IU13. Registration is required and spots are limited. If you are interested in signing up, please email my office at RepIzzy@pahouse.net.